Employe s recorder



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. P. MERRITT.

' EMPLOYE'S RECORDER.

N0.375',087. Patented De0. 20, 18'8'7.

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\A/ITIJEEJEIEEL NVENTUR.

6 M V j N. PETERS PhulvLhlwgnbhnr. Winhingtun, D. C.

(No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. P. MERRITT.

EMPLOYES REGORDER. No. 375,087. Patented Dec; 20, 1887.

IRh/ENTUR MaM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

E1. WITNEEEEE. Pg

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICEO BENJAMIN F. MERRITT, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

EMPLOYE"S, RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,087, dated December 20, 1887.

Application tiled Xovembcr 19, 1886. Serial No. 219,38l.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FREDERICK MERRITT, of the city of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Employs Recorder and certain Improvements Embodied and Combined therein, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore it has been customary in shops or similar places where several persons are employed for the employer or his foreman, time-clerk, or other employ to make a memorandum or an entry in a time-book of the time of arrival at and departure from their work by the several persons employed, that a just knowledge might be had and kept of the names of employs attending to duty, their punctuality, and the hours of their service. This method of accomplishing a necessary result is attended with certain obvious inconvenienccs, expenses, and uncertainties, since the employer cannot always be as early at his place of business as his employs, nor in scvoral rooms or shops at once, and the foreman may not always be regular himself, and the trusted time-clerk is expensive, and the delegation of such a matter to one employ is invidious, and through the other occupation ot the one attending to the recording the arrival or time may not be noted and injustice be done.

Now it is the object of my present invention to provide a new method and means of accomplishing the desired result of recording and keeping the fact and the time of arrival at duty of employs conveniently, inexpensively, with certainty and without invidiousness. This involves the partial use of the employiin an act which is simple and without temptation or opportunity for mistake or deceit, and the full use by the employer at his convenience, of a contrivance substantially such as I show in the accompanying drawings, and presently describe herein in some or all of its leading features.

Myinvention consists in an improvement in the art of taking and keeping the names and the times of arrival or departure of several persons, consisting in the use of a closed case having an opening and a platen or tablet for the writing of their autograph names on a con- (No model.)

tinuous strip of paper, each in the order of his coming or going, and the impression, by touching a key outside of the case, of printed characters indicative of the time of day upon the strip adjacent to the name; and, further, in certain devices and combinations for the carrying out of my invention and its substantial parts, which will be apparent from the follow ing specification and the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same reference-letters in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows a part of the cover or door of a case containing an opening, other parts being broken away, and parts of a strip of paper with written names and of an inkingribbon; and Fig. 2 shows the case with cover or door removed and a plan View of the mechanisms within as they are in an employs recorder embodying my invention and improvements in oneform. Fig. 3 shows a piece of detail partly from behind the dial-plate. Fig. 4. shows in section on the line as a: of Fig. 2 the same mechanisms with the case closed. Fig. 5 shows in section on the line 3/ y of Fig. 2 parts of the same things; and Fig. 6 shows in section on the line 2 z of Fig. 4 the parts below that line; and Fig. 7 shows in elevation and section on theline w as of Fig. 6 the parts above that line and those with which they are immediately connected and Fig. 8 shows in vertical section a detail of part of the papermoving mechanism.

A A A Aisa case,which may be of metal orwood or any suitable material,and of any desired shape, and adapted to lie on a desk or counter or to stand on a shelf or be secured to awall,as may be most convenient. It is adapted in shape, size, and proportions to contain either the whole or such part of the mechanisms shown as may be intended to use, and is capable of being opened by means of a door with hinges and lock, or otherwise, for necessary attentions to the mechanisms inside and for reading or removing the record made by its use. It is provided at some one part with an opening or slot-such as A-and with a platen or rest, A", the opening and the platen being so constructed as to admit of the introduction between them of a strip of paper or other writingsnrface-such as Band allow it to be moved over the platen and to be written IOU upon through the opening. It may also,when a clock and its dial are used, have an opening in the opaque material and a glass insertion, asat A in Fig. 4, corresponding with the face of the clock, and so the ordinary uses of a visible clock be combined with those of the case and its contents. This case readily opened by the proprietor or person having charge of it and closed to the employs or persons having a partial'use of it,presenting to the latter only the opening for exposinga small portion of writing-surface and the platen for a rest to write against or for the writing-surface to rest upon, andincidentally a small access, as m, for a key, as I), hereinafter to be explained, is the first part of the apparatus shown. In connection with this first part I prefer to use a long continuous strip of papersuch as Bof which the opening A shall leave a part exposed with a margin unexposed at the right of the open ing,and which is movable on the platen A to expose successively different parts of the paper. On this exposed part of the paper one person writes his name; on the next exposed part the next writes his name, and so on. Thus the autograph, the continuous strip, and the confined position show beyond doubt or subterfuge the presence of the person, and the order of names shows the order of arrival. At

the same time that the name is written, and on the margin of paper adjacent to the name is impressed a figure or figures indicative of the time when the nameis written; and this impression is made by means and combinations which I shall presently describe, inaccessible to the person writing and over which he has no control, except in the simplest act of causing an impression to be made by touching the key D, and thus the record is made complete. Fig. 1 shows approximately how this tally-slip or time-sheet will appear after it has been so used, and the proprietor or person having charge may at any time examine it or tear off and remove the days result, for instance, and preserve it for reference in a file or otherwise, as a record of absolutely-proved correctness.

Another part of the apparatus is a type mechanism which presents one or more raised characters in or adjacent to the platen A, and also adjacent to the opening A, as, for instance, are shown at 9 and 25 in Fig. 2, there being one or more series of these characters, so as to present different ones. for different positions of the mechanism, operated by means yet to be described; and I prefer to make this type mechanism in the form of two type-wheels, H and K, having their peripheries at one part adjacent to each other and to the platen, and presenting even with or above the surface of the latter one the numerals 1 to 12, inclusive, and the other 10 and soon to 55, inclusive, on its periphery, as shown in the drawings, so as to indicate by their juxtaposition or their impression divisions of time into five minute spaces as they are used, one set being indicative of the hours and the other of the minutes, as in Fig. 2, to be read 9 hours minutes; and so in Fig. 1 it reads in full that A. Hamilton arrived at 7 oclock, Richard Roe at 7:10 oclock, &c.

A fifth part of the apparatus is an inking mechanism, and here 0 is an ink-ribbon wound on spools G 0, held in any suitable manner by attachments to the interior of the case or projections therefrom, and placed over the margin of the strip B and the operative position of the types, and the ink-ribbon may be made movable longitudinally either by hand or automatically, in any approved manner.

As I do not claim any improvement in the mechanism for actuating the printing-ribbon, I have not here shown or described any more than a ribbon in its proper position with reference to the other mechanisms,and two spools, either of which is movable by hand, to draw the ribbon backward and forward by the printing point. It is obvious, however, that in practice any approved automatic mechanism for operating this ribbon may be used if deemed necessary. I find that for ordinary use of this mechanism it is sufficient to change the ribbon by hand once a day when winding the springs.

A sixth part of the apparatus is a printing mechanism connected with the key D and operating upon the margin of the strip B, as fol lows: The key D has a knob outside of the case and a stem extending into the case and through holes in the attachments m m, and has a stud, D, which, when the key is pressed, pushes the arm D on the rock-shaft D and throws the outer end of the arm D, slotted at d, to receive the pin d, on the cleat d", attached to the bars D D, sliding in ways in the cleats d d, and so moves the impression roll D, which is axled in the bars and free to revolve across the ink-ribbon and over the margin of the slip of paper and the types, thus causing an impression from the types in operative position to be made upon the margin of the strip B adjacent to the part exposed for a written name, and then when pressure is removed from the key D the roll D is thrown back across the ribbon to its former position by the action of the retracting spring D through the same mechanism that threw it forward.

It will thus be seen that the printing-impression is made by means of the small roller D Fig. 2, which is axled in the frame D D and free to revolve so as not to drag on the paper or inking-ribbon, and it is kept in close contact with the latter, so as to press upon the types as it passes from them by the cleats d d, which hold the frame D D in which it is carried, and also that the roller D is carried across the types by the lateral movement of i this frame D D under the impulse of the arm D*. The parallel bars of the frame D D are shown in elevation in Fig. 2 and in cross section in Fig. 5.

Iwill next describe the part of the apparatus which consists in a paper-drawing mechanism and its operation.

The strip B may be wound on the roll or IlC spool B, journaled in brackets a, attached to the inside of the case, and be carried from that across the platen A and type mechanism and under the bars D D and the ink-ribbon to and between the draw-roll B and the pressure-roll 13 both j ournaled in brackets attached to theinside of the case. The draw-roll B may be covered with sand-paper, as at 6 or other surface, to make it adhere to the paper strip,

and may be actuated as follows: To the stem click, E, to prevent backward motion. Now,

when the key D is pressed, the link E pulls the arm E, and through the connections throws the pawl E forward and (aided by the spring E) into engagement with another tooth of the ratchet E and so imparts to the draw-rollB a partial revolution forward when pressure fromthe key Dis removed, and the retractingspring E restores the pawl E and intermediate parts to their former position. I have thus shown the paper-drawing mechanism combined with and attached tothe same key-stem as the printing mechanism, so that both are operated by one action of the key D, and, as it is desirable that the impression-roll D and the draw-roll 13'? shall not operate at the same instant, construct and arrange the parts communicating motion to them so that the action of the impression-roll shall precede that of the draw-roll.

It is obvious that two keys, each separately connected with one of these rolls, may be used; but this would leave opportunity for mistake or neglect, and the operation of the apparatus would not be so certain and effective.

An eighth part of the apparatus may be called an actuating mechanism or spring and train for moving the type mechanism. The type-wheel H is mounted rigidly on a shaft, H, journaled in brackets attached to the in side of the case, and to the same shaft is fixed the toothed wheel I. A strong scroll-spring, I, is attached at one end, as t, to brackets A", attached to the inside of the case, and at the other end to the shaft of a spur-wheel, I, journaled in the brackets in any suitable manner, and so that by means of a key the spring may be wound up for action, like the mainspring of a clock, and act to move the wheel I. The wheel I is the firstof a train, and meshes with the spur-wheel I" on the shaft i which carries also the spur-wheel 1 meshing with the spurwheel 1*, and thus imparts motion through the shaft H to the type-wheel H. The motion thus imparted is regulated and made intermittent through a regulating-train and stop device,.

yet to be described, or in any suitable manner. A secondary actuating mechanism for the type-wheel K and its operation are as follows:

A pin, K, is fixed in one side of the typewheel H, so as to project from it, as shown in Fig. 6. This pin is carried around by the wheel H, and comes in contact once at each revolution with the arm K Figs. 6 and 7. This arm K is fixed on the rock-shaft K and to this rock-shaft is also fixed another arm, K (shown in top plan view in Fig. 6, and partly in elevation and partly in dotted lines in Fig. 4,) and, as will be seen in Fig. '4, this arm K is held backward by the spiral spring K against acting on a short projection from it near the lower end, so that its upper end tends to rest against the screw a,and when in this position holds the other arm, K upward against the shaft H and against the spring of the pin K", as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; but as the wheel H carries this pin K arcund it presses the arm K throws forward the other arm,K and with it the pawl arm K, hinged at K, and catching at the other end in the ratchet-wheel K. This forward movement of the pawl-arm K is accompanied also bya forward movement of the bent wirearm K, (shown in Fig. 6,) which is secured at one end in the arm K and at the other end presses against the curved springarm K, and as it moves forward leaves the free end of the spring-arm K from contact with the types of the wheel K. Now when the pin K has passed by the end of the arm K and thereby releases the arm K and its connections, then by the operation of the spring K the arm K is drawn backward, giving a partial rotation to the ratchet wheel K, and through it and thetubular axle H to the hour typewheel K, the latter being then retained in its new position by the operation of the spring arm or catch K until another revolution of the wheel H. The type'wheel K is thus given a motion correlative with that of H, and as shown here it has one revolution to twelve revolutions of H. I have shown the shaft H ofthe amended type-wheel H continuous through the hour type-wheel K and its sleeve, and the ratchet-wheel K, and the wheel H and ratchet K connected by a sleeve or tubular axle mounted on the axle H, though it is obvious that the shafts for these two typewheels may be made separate and have separate bearings, the only requirement being that in their operation the types on their peripheries shall be brought practically to the same plane and adjacent to each other.

A tenth part of the apparatus here described is a regulatingtrain, by which the motion of the type-actuating spring and train is controlled,so as to act regularly and in a given or calculated ratio to the action of a stop or other devices. 1 is a spur-wheel,fixed on the shaft H and meshing with a spur-wheel, l, on the shaft '6, which also carries the spur-wheel 1 meshing with the spur-wheel I on the shaft 2' and this train is here so constructed as to permit one revolution of the shaft H and typewheel H for every twelve revolutions of the and thus each of the twelve type or character teeth on His brought in turn to the operative position-one for each release of the stop-arm.

The eleventh part of the apparatus relates to an intermittently-releasing meehanism,whereby the stop-arm I and connected devices are regularly released, and released at intervals determined by the action of a mechanism which measures time, whereby the impressions made from the types at their different operative positions are rendered indicative of periods of time. An arm, G is fixed at one end on the rock-shaftG and at the other end has a lip, 9 made in two parts, by preference one a little in advance ofthe other. Attached to the same rock-shaft G" is another arm, G, which when it is at rest on the shaft H or other stop permits the arm G to take such a position that the pin 13 in the stop-arm l rests on the upper part of the lip 9 and when it is slightly raised permits the pin i to slip off from the upper part onto the lower part of the lip 9 and then when it falls to rest again permits the pin 6 to slip entirely off thelip and the arm 1 and its rock-shaft i to make a revolution and come back to its position of rest; and this motion of the arm G is communicated by a connecting link or wire, G, and an arm, G, hinged at one end, 9, to a bracket, a attached to the inside of the case and resting at the other end by a bent lip, g, on a ratchetwheel, G, on one of the arbors of a piece of clock-work. By this construction and arrangement a very slight power at g is sufficient to operate the releasing mechanism, and the operation is made intermittent with reference to periods of time easily regulated.

For the twelfth part of the apparatus, (the clock meehanism,) I take, by preference, a Seth Thomas or other good clock with an ei htday spring as being very serviceable, (though any other good clock or the motive power and train thereof may be taken.) of which F may be the face or dial plate, F the mainspring, F the minute hand, and f the arbor on which it is carried. I place the ratchet-wheel G on the arbor carrying the minute-hand F, and as the present apparatus is constructed-the minute-hand arbor revolving once in sixty minutes and the wheel G having twelve teeth-the time-arm Gand the stoparm I and the type wheel H and the types on the periphery of the latter are changed in position once in five minutes, so that the impressions on the margin of the strip B may indicate fiveminute divisions of time, and when the clock is regulated to keep correct standard or mean time, whichever may be in use, the time of writing of the names on the strip 13 will be correctly marked to intervals of five minutes. Obvious modifications of the mechanism may be made, so as to record less or greater intervals, as maybe preferred.

Having described my contrivance minutely as to its several parts, together with their separate operation, I will now briefly and more generally describe the twofold operation of my improved recorder-first, that which is automatic and continuous, and, secondly, that which is occasional and communicatedas follows: Assuming the clock-spring F and the secondary spring I, Fig. 4, to be round and the whole machine in working order, then the revolution of the minute-arbor and the ratchet-wheel G, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, causes the click-arm G, Figs. 2 and 3, to be raised every five minutes, as each tooth passes under the end This pulls up the connecting-rod G, Figs. 8, 4, 6, and 7, thereby raises the rockarm G", Figs. 4, 6, and 7, and through its shaft G Fig. (5, moves the escapementarm G Figs. 6 and 7, forward a little, so that the pin i Fig. 6, is allowed to drop off the first click, 9", Fig. 6, onto the second. Then by the drop of the click 9, Fig. 3, off from the tooth, and the return of the arms G and G Figs. 6 and 7, the pin i", Fig. 6, is released from the other part of the lip g and the train-arm 1, Figs. 6 and 7, is carried around (by the spring I and its regulatingtrain) one revolution until it is caught and held again by the pin t on the first lip g. The secondary train, which has carried the releasearm 1" around, has also caused (through the arbors, wheels, and pinions, before described) the minute type-wheel H, Figs. 6 and 2, to make onetwelfth of-a revolution, and thus the minute-ty pes are changed at the printing-point every five minutes by the combined movements of the clock'and secondary trains. Meanwhile the hour type-wheel is held in its one position by the catch is, Fig. 6, on the spring-arm K"; but as the minute type-wheel H is moved the pin K", Fig. 6, in the wheel H is carried around so as to press the rock-arm K Figs. 6 and 7, and by rocking its shaft K thus advances the other rockarm, K, Figs. 6 and 4, and makes the hinged bolt K pass over one tooth on the hour-ratchet K, Figs. 6 and 4, and when the minute-wheel K is moved for the twelfth time the pin K, Fig. 6, slips off the rock-arm K releases its shaft and other arm, K, and the spring K Fig. 4, pulls back the arm K Figs. 4 and ti, and pawl K", and thus raises the spring-arm K (by the trip-arm K, Fig. 6) and moves the hour type-wheel K, Figs. 6, 4, and 2, through one-twelfth of a revolution, changing the hourtype at the printing-point. Thus both type wheels are actuated to be ready to mark the time at the printing-point adjacent to the opening A. Now the second or occasional opera tion is as follows: An employ first writes his name on the paper B at the opening A, Figs. 1 and 4that is, between the parallel rods D D, Fig. 2, and then presses the key D and its stem upward. This, by the connecting mechanism previously described, throws the arms D and I), Figs. 2 and 5, and the parallel rods D D so as to bring the presserroll D*, Fig. 2, to the left across the ribbon O, the paper B, and the types, and cause an impression or record of the time adjacent to the name just written, and on releasing the key D the spring D Figs. 2 and 5, pulls down ICC the arm D throws the arm D and thus re- '2, arm E, and shaft E moved the rocking pawl-arm E Figs. 8 and 2, so as to push the pawl E, Fig. 8, forward over one tooth of the ratchet E Figs. 8 and 2, which is on the end of the draw-roll B Fig. 2, so that when the key D is released the spring E Fig. 5, reversing the action of the shaft E", moves the draw-roll B through a part of a revolution, and thus pulls the paper along downward a certain distance by the opening A and leaves it ready for the next writing. The actions of these devices are timed so that the paper moves just after the presser-roll has acted and returned.

It is obvious that modifications in form and arrangement of the different mechanisms and devices may be made or equivalents used without departing from thesubstance of myinvention, and I do not mean to limit myself to these or the combinations of them exactly as shown and described.

I have been made aware since completing my invention that I am not the first to produce a time-recording apparatus having a close case with an opening and a platen, or hour and minute type-wheels combined with a clock mechanism, or a secondary spring and train for moving a type-wheel, with an escapement device for allowing the same to move relatively with the clock-train, or a strip of paper operated upon by time printing-wheels and connecting devices, or mechanism for moving a strip of paper, and a printing-hammer in an inclosed case in connection with a written name, and I do not claim any of these.

I claim as new and of my invention- 1. The combination, with a closed case having an opening and a platen, of a feed-roll, as B, a draw-roll, as B a pressure-roll, as B a rock-shaft, as E, an arm and pawl, as E E, a

ratchet-wheel, as IE and click, as E, a rockinking device, and an impression-roll with mechanism for moving it and returning it from outside the case, essentially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a printing mechanism, of an impression-roll, D, a carrier, D D d d, lever-arms D Dfl-rock-shaft D, retractingspring D and key D and their connections, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a platen and a type device and an inlcribbon, of a key, as D, a printing mechanism, as D, and its connections, and a paper-drawing mechanism, as B and its connections, whereby an impression may be made and the paper be moved by the same movement of the key, but at different moments of time, essentially as set forth.

5. The combination, with an actuating mechanism and a type-wheel and its shaft, of a regulating-train, as I I I I a stop device, as I, and means for releasing and engaging the stop, substantially as shown and described.

6. In combination with a typewheel, as H, and its actuating mechanism and regulating and stop devices, another type-wheel, as K, and a secondary actuating and stop mechanism constructed to impart to this other typewheel an independent but correlative intermittent motion with the first, essentially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the type-wheels H and K, of a shaft, as H, a ratchet-whecl, as K, pawl K arms K K K", rock-shaft K a stop device, as K, and pin K, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a recording apparatus, the combination of a stop-arm, G lip arm G and a stop or rest therefor, rock-shaft G", and pin 2'", constructed to operate as a stop mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

9. A recording apparatus consisting in a closed case having a platen and an opening, a strip of paper or similar writing-surface, a paper-drawing mechanism and a printing mechanism, both operated by pressure on a key outside of the case, an inking device, a type mechanism, a type-actuating mechanism, a secondary type-actuating mechanism, a regulating mechanism, a releasing mechanism, and a clock mechanism, all constructed, arranged, and combined essentially as set forth.

BENJ. F. MERRITT.

Witnesses:

E. P. J. MORTON, WM. H. LEAVITT. 

